Knitting, sculpting, shaping and sewing

My story

Hello! My name is Barbara Newman-Davies. I have loved making toys since the age of 14 as it all started with my beloved nan teaching me how to knit and crochet and my mother spending hours with me sewing.  Over the years I made many toys then taking a break to venture into oil paintings which have graced many homes.

Following the birth of grandchildren, I wanted to rekindle the joy of making toys and passing on a truly unique gift that could be handed down and passed on to their children so I embarked on this new project putting love, energy and quality of workmanship into each little bear, their clothes and accessories. 

It’s exciting times seeing each little bear come to life and I truly hope that my work will give you the same pleasure and excitement in finding a truly unique gift that is as individual as we are!

A gift and so much more

Bears

My bears are luxuriously made from pure wool and Mohair with lots of love, time and energy spent on each individual creation. All of my little bears have their own unique personality as they develop and shape themselves along the way.  Many hours are spent knitting, sculpting and shaping them into their individual little characters. Each little bear and all the accessories are made with the same loving energy and hope this will be felt by the people who bring my bears into their homes and become friends for life!

Clothes

For the little girl collection of bears I use only the best and superior quality soft fine weave cotton materials for the little dresses, such as Rose and Hubble & Liberty London fabrics. All hand made with coordinated lined inner bodices and a great deal of time is spent in the fine details and hand-stitching to finish off each little dress, skirt, pantaloons. For the little boys, every attention to detail is adorned on their dungarees, little shirts and knitted jumpers, cardigans and hats using pure wool, mohair and silk and quality sourced buttons etc.

Antique Style Furniture

I spend many glorious hours scouring antique shops and fairs to source miniature vintage furniture which is just the right size and proportion for my bears. Each individual piece is then cleaned, sanded, stripped and lovingly repainted and finished by hand. Every piece of furniture that I create is individual, creating beautiful statement pieces that are bespoke for the little bear collections.

Miniature Antique Style Furniture

Pretty Little Bears

Bear Clothes Collection

“I hope people who bring my bears into their homes become friends for life!”

Barbara Newman-Davies